Citation classics: top 50 cited articles in bariatric and metabolic surgery

The number of times an article has been cited reflects its influence in a specific field. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize the most highly cited articles published on bariatric and metabolic surgery.

The 50 most frequently cited articles in bariatric and metabolic surgery were identified from the Scopus database in December 2013.

The median number of citations was 383.5 (range 275-2482). Most of the articles were published from 2000-2012 (n = 35), followed by 1990-1999 (n = 12), then before 1990 (n = 3). These citation classics came from 8 countries, with the majority originating from the United States (n = 34), followed by Sweden (n = 4) and Australia (n = 4). The 50 articles were published in 20 journals, led by New England Journal of Medicine (n = 9) and Annals of Surgery (n = 9). Only 10 of the articles were published in obesity-specific journals. The level of evidence of the 49 clinical publications and 1 animal study consisted of level I (n = 5), II (n = 11), III (n = 9), IV (n = 19), and V (n = 6). Meta-analyses were 16% of the total citations. Metabolic (n = 12) and survival (n = 6) effects of surgery were among the most common fields of study.

Extending from the early 1950s through the voluminous growth period of the early 2000s, the field of bariatric and metabolic surgery led to the emergence of many top-cited scientific articles. These articles have provided the scientific basis for the only currently effective treatment for severe obesity. Articles published in high-impact journals, innovative observational studies, meta-analyses, survival analyses, and research on postoperative metabolic changes are most likely to be cited in the field of bariatric surgery.